Experts appointed by an Indian court have cleared the entry of a French ocean liner into a ship-breaking yard, a senior official said. The Blue Lady, owned by an Indian firm, can now be towed to the world's largest ship-breaking yard in Alang in the state of Gujarat and dismantled. It was formerly the SS France and then the SS Norway. Environmental groups say the ship contains 1,200 tonnes of asbestos and other toxic materials. The 11-storey, 315-metre-long, liner entered Indian waters last month and is anchored off Pipavav port. The Indian Platform on Ship-breaking, an alliance of groups including Greenpeace and the Ban Asbestos Network, says the dismantling should not be allowed to go ahead. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk

Nato and Afghan forces have killed 18 Taleban militants in a raid in southern Afghanistan, officials say. It took place late on Tuesday in the town of Garmser in Helmand province. A Danish soldier was badly wounded in Helmand on Wednesday. On Tuesday, three British soldiers were killed in Helmand. Separately, a car has exploded in the capital Kabul, killing its driver and injuring two other people - one of them a passenger - police say. 'We carried out the operation in which 18 Taleban got killed and we recovered a huge amount of ammunitions," provincial police chief, Nabi Mullahkhail, told Reuters. He said there were no casualties among the Nato or Afghan forces in the fighting in Garmser town, which was recaptured from the Taleban last month. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5237176.stm

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that there will be no ceasefire in Lebanon until an international force is deployed in the south of the country. He said if Israel stopped and waited for peacekeepers, Hezbollah would seize the chance to stage yet more attacks. Earlier, Israeli troops raided Baalbek, deep inside Lebanon, seizing five people they say are Hezbollah fighters. Hezbollah on Wednesday launched its biggest single-day barrage, firing 190 rockets including one 70km into Israel. Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Olmert said that "the infrastructure of Hezbollah has been entirely destroyed" with more than 700 command positions "wiped out". ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5237620.stm

A hospital has lost £2.5m in funding for treating patients too quickly. Ipswich Hospital, in Suffolk, which is more than £16m in the red, accidentally breached an agreement to ensure all patients had similar waiting times. Ipswich Hospital agreed with the East Suffolk Primary Care Trusts, which fund treatment, that patients should wait at least four months for treatment. However, doctors had treated patients inside that time and the trust refused to pay the £2.5m cost of treatment. This will now have to come from the hospital's own budget, adding to its financial difficulties....http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/5237824.stm

Troubled Russian oil firm Yukos has been declared bankrupt by a court in Moscow, clearing the way for the firm to be liquidated. The decision ends a three-year court battle for survival, after Yukos was hit with a huge back tax bill. The saga has seen former Yukos chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky jailed and parts of the oil firm's empire sold off. "It's the death sentence for the company," Yukos lawyer Drew Holliner said after the ruling. Yukos's core shareholder GML condemned the move, saying the decision to sell of its assets would "likely leave shareholders out of pocket". The group has vowed to fight the decision in Europe, the US and elsewhere. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5233664.stm

UN chief Kofi Annan has urged the Security Council to reinforce Darfur's African Union (AU) peacekeepers, while pressuring Sudan to accept a UN force. Mr Annan gave three options for the UN, with Sudan's approval, to bring peace. One scheme would involve 18,600 African and Asian troops, making it the world's largest UN peace force. But Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir has vowed to never allow a UN force into Darfur. The UN cannot assume a role without the government's consent. "Securing the consent of the government of Sudan will require continued intensive discussions with Khartoum by council members, by key member states and regional organisations, as well as by the United Nations," Mr Annan said. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5239116.stm